I’ve read dozens of stories from the Internet Archive Pulp Magazine Archive, from a variety of pulps (Amazing Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories, Planet Stories, Startling Stories, Fantastic Adventures) from 1936-1948, and I’d be hard-pressed to find a single example in what I’ve read of a woman without SOME kind of active influence on the story – they are not there to be passive window-decorations. Admittedly, in some stories there will not be any woman characters at all, though.

I think the cover illo is for “Beneath the Red World’s Crust” but although there is a girl, I don’t remember her “fainting into a man’s arms” like that shown on the cover. There are several strong stories in that issue, at least I found them so. Also not highlighted on cover, a piece by Ray Bradbury of a sort of “proto-Twilight Zone” vibe.

I dig Anderson’s art and style, but his covers are rarely representative of the actual stories. I think he worked a lot from a handful of stock photos and pin-ups, so you’ll see that pose, along with the lady with the whip, re-used for a few different covers. When he’s doing interior line-art, he tends to draw them all looking like the same 90s gothic metal frontwoman.